Importing Personal Property Into Serbia

Transcription

1 Importing Personal Property Into Serbia HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS CUSTOMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS Customs Regulations: Used household goods and personal effects are tax and duty free provided goods have been owned and used by the client for a minimum of six months and client has lived abroad for at least one year for foreigners or 2 years for returning Serbians. Items can not be sold, lent or otherwise disposed of while in Serbia. Clients in Serbia on a temporary basis are obligated to re-export all of the belongings that were imported when they leave Serbia. Clients must be in Serbia to apply for the Residence Permit in person. All temporarily imported shipments must be cleared through a bonded warehouse. Passport copy - page with photo & personal data Residence/Work Visa issued by Ministry of Police, takes approximately 30 days; must provide birth certificate and marriage certificate if applicable when applying Certificate of Temporary Import Uverenje obtained from Police Station in Serbia; issued after Residence Visa has been obtained, must be valid for more than 3 months Comprehensive Valued Inventory in English or Serbian of personal effects & household goods with quantity of each type of items (word or excel files for all lists) o List of all books - include title & author s name o List of electronics/electrical items state make, model & serial numbers o List of works of art include artist s name, size and medium used (oil, acrylic, pencil etc) Detailed Packing List signed and dated by client (same as the inventory sans the value of items) Power of Attorney giving authority for Destination Agent to arrange customs clearance; must be on agent letterhead, stamped & signed by client Cost of Transport from origin to destination in Serbia Confirmation from Agencija za Privredne Registre (Business Registrar of Serbia) certifies the client does not have a company registered in his/her name in Serbia Returning Citizens: Must have lived abroad for a minimum of 2 years with documentation from the Serbian Embassy attesting to length of stay abroad to be allowed to import personal effects tax free up to 50000EURO. For returning citizens who have lived abroad for less than 2 years or can not prove stay abroad of 2 years must pay taxes and duties on their belongings. Tax & duties are calculated based on value of shipment + cost of transport. Shipment will be unloaded in a Customs warehouse (exceptions made for returning Serbians who worked for the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. in addition to above documents Personal ID copy, original passport must be supplied on day the goods are imported Comprehensive Valued Inventory - in addition to above: works of art must include a photograph of each item supplied in advance to the Destination Agent, signed and dated by client Detailed Packing List signed and date by client (same as the inventory sans the value of items) Pro Forma invoice Customs purposes only, no commercial value Serbian Consulate Confirmation original, at origin, must explicitly state beginning and end date of stay, confirming 2 continuous years working in the foreign country

2 Diplomat Status: Foreign diplomats, members of government or international organizations are granted tax and duty free entry of their personal effects and household items either new or used. With this status food and alcohol is also tax and duty free. Shipment details (gross weight & number of pieces) MUST be the same on Act of Protocol and transport documents (AWB/BL/CMR). Diplomatic Act of Protocol issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs SNPVD certificate obtained from the embassy or organization Passport copy page with photo & personal data Comprehensive Inventory in English or Serbian of personal effects & household goods (word or excel files for all lists) o List of all books - include title & author s name o List of works of art include artist s name and medium used (oil, acrylic, pencil etc) Power of Attorney giving authority for Destination Agent to arrange customs clearance; must be on agent letterhead, stamped & signed by client RESTRICTED/DUTIABLE ITEMS Works of Art, Paintings & Antiques must be detailed on Inventory, all paintings must be officially estimated and certified by a National museum at origin Firearms - require permits from the Ministry of Internal Affairs & Police Department Note: client must live in Serbia for 1 year before requesting these permits Plants 2 Phytosanitary exams required; 1 at Serbian border and 1 at destination city of residence Not all Customs offices have the Phytosanitary equipment New items incur tax and duty Alcohol only 1 liter allowed for personal consumption PROHIBITED ITEMS Narcotics/illegal drugs of any kind Alcohol only those with diplomatic status are allowed importation Food and any other consumables only those with diplomatic status are allowed importation Any commercial goods Any materials ridiculing any religious belief Pornography and subversive material Explosives, ammunitions and weapons Pesticides & any toxic materials deemed harmful to public health and interest to the country IMPORTATION OF PETS Pets are quarantined for 21 days; the designated quarantine location is always the address/residence of the requisition applicant. The request for import and quarantine can be submitted only by a person residing in Serbia or an authorized customs agent (transporter). The request should be submitted fifteen (15) days before the actual realization of import. Requests should be submitted to the following address: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Uprava za veterinu Omladinskih brigada Novi Beograd, Republic of Serbia

3 Request for the issuance of import permit Request for the issuance of permit for quarantine Certificate of Vaccination by a licensed veterinarian including rabies, 15 days prior but not more than 6 months old prior to arrival Health Certificate - by a licensed veterinarian at origin, no more than 14 days prior to arrival Tattoo or Microchip number Permit SIV2 - issued prior to arrival Permit for Quarantine must be obtained in person Domestic cats and Dogs: must state on Health Certificate that there were no cases of Rabies in the radius of 50 km (31 mi) from the residence in the last six months. Domestic rodents: Must state on Health Certificate they have been free of Tularemia for at least one year. That there were no cases of Rabies, TB, Pasteurellosis, Brucellosis or Myxomatosis in the radius of 50 km (31 mi) from the residence in the last six months. Exotic/decorative birds, aquarium fish and other animals: Health certificate must certify that they are clinically healthy as well as that they originate from the areas where there are no communicable diseases that could be transmitted. NOTE: Import, export and transfer of pets at Nis "Konstantin Veliki airport" (INI), is prohibited. IMPORTATION OF VEHICLES Vehicles may be imported duty free under the following conditions. 1. Vehicle is less than six (6) years old. 2. Client is allowed to stay in the country more than three (3) months. 3. The vehicle has been owned by the client more than six (6) months. If conditions 2 and 3 are not applicable a vehicle may be imported temporarily only if it is not older than six years. Vehicle is subject to 3% of all import taxes payable on the vehicle. Returning Serbians Must pay Customs duties and taxes on vehicles. Amount of duties = value of vehicle (estimated by Customs) + transport cost x 20%. Amount of taxes = value of goods + transport cost x 18%. All clients must provide vehicle description of year, color, make, model, number of doors, weight, engine size/volume (cc) and engine power (KW). Clearance can take 3-15 working days. The value placed on a vehicle by Customs will be applied in the event the purchase invoice provided by client is lower. NOTE: Vehicles produced in the US cannot be imported. Certificate of Title and Registration - must be original Commercial/Purchase Invoice must be original EUR 3 document or COC certificate Engine/chassis numbers Import Permit application obtained from the Institute of Standardization, must apply at least 2 weeks prior to shipping from origin

4 Consignment Instructions (Sample): Please consign the AWB/OBL/CMR to: Consignee Name of Agent Agent Address Telephone number Fax number Attn: Notification to: Consignee Telephone number Full Address Once shipment is booked fax pre-alert to Destination Agent along w/copies of AWB/OBL/CMR and full contact details of the client. Clearly mark waybills Used household Goods and Personal Effects. Do not attach the Inventory List used for insurance purposes with the documents enclosed with the shipment. Valued Inventory Lists are for Customs purposes and therefore the value does not need to be the same as the one used for insurance purposes. It is suggested to declare low value for items on this list. Entry & Exit Requirements: One cannot apply for a residence permit outside of Serbia. (People who apply for temporary residence permits need to provide the police with a copy of their birth certificate and marriage certificate if they are married). The police certificate needs to be obtained no more than 90 days before applying for the residence permit. You will also need to get an official police report from your state of residence in the U.S. or from the country where you live permanently. All documents should have an "apostil" stamp from the government office where you obtained the documents. Additional information regarding apostils can be found on the Department of State judicial link below: Serbian immigration police do not recognize the authority of Kosovo s newly independent government or its borders or immigration officers. Travelers coming to Serbia by land through Kosovo have had problems with Serbian border authorities at checkpoints on the land borders between Kosovo and Serbia. Serbian immigration police have refused to accept travelers Kosovo entry stamps as proof of legal entry into Kosovo. The immigration police claim travelers were illegally in Serbian territory and refused to allow them to travel any farther into Serbia. Please consult with the US Embassy in Belgrade for up to date information prior to any travel to Kosovo at: Safety & Security: Traveling to southern Serbia is risky. The security situation there is not stable. U.S. Government employees on official business near the border between Serbia and Kosovo travel in fully armored vehicles. Those traveling in southern Serbia near the Kosovo border should register with the U.S. Embassy and check in with the Embassy regularly for the latest security updates. U.S. citizens are advised to keep a low profile or avoid public demonstrations. Anti-American feelings are strongest around the anniversary dates of certain events and on some national holidays. Among these dates and holidays are March 24 (the beginning of the 1999 NATO bombing campaign), February 17 (the date of the 2008 independence of Kosovo) and ethnic Serb holidays such as St. Vitus Day (Vidovdan, celebrated June 28). Health: Vaccination against typhoid is sometimes advised. Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever is endemic in Kosovo. Hepatitis A occurs. Tick-borne encephalitis and typhus occur. Prescribed medicines must be paid for at the point of service. Health insurance with emergency repatriation is essential. Visitors and temporary residents may be asked to pay first and seek reimbursement later. Fumigation of Wood Packing Materials: As of this posting Serbia does not require ISPM15 for wood packaging material (WPM) regulations.

5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: FIDI Global Alliance USDA: Embassy of Serbia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Serbia: Department of State: IAM The information presented herein his based on customs data available at the time of printing and is frequently subject to change without notice. It is the responsibility of the owner or importer of the household goods to comply with the current customs restrictions, regulations, and duties of the country to which the goods are imported. We strongly advise customers to contact the consulate or embassy of the destination country for the most current information on customs regulations, restrictions and duties for importing household goods, personal effects and vehicles.